Go to the Nakagin Capsule Tower Building again

Until about a year ago, I lived in a building called Nakagin Capsule Tower Building in Ginza. It was a place I liked very much, but unfortunately it was decided to demolish it and I had to move out. The Nakagin Capsule Tower Building, designed by Kisho Kurokawa, was built in the 70's and was a part of the architectural movement called Metabolism. For 30 years, there was a debate about whether to demolish or preserve the building, but in the meantime, it has become decrepit and finally had to be demolished.

The living environment was harsh, with no hot water due to a broken hot water supply system. The water pipes are broken and leaking from the ceiling even when it is not raining, the sewage pipes are broken and the toilets are unusable, and so on. In a normal property, I would not want to live in such a poor environment again. But I enjoyed living in the Capsule Tower. The massive atmosphere of the old architecture, the interior design that looked like a set from a science fiction movie, the beautiful view from the round windows, and the glamorous and deep Ginza district outweighed the inconvenience.

Distinctive architecture

The Nakagin Capsule Tower Building is a representative building of the Metabolism movement, and Metabolism means metabolism. It was a system in which units of rooms and sub-structures were connected to the basic structure, and the units were replaced according to the usage and lifestyle. These buildings were constructed in the 1960s and 1970s, a time of rapid economic growth, rapid population growth, and rapid changes in lifestyles. The concept of Metabolism was based on the idea that a fixed architecture would not be able to cope with the changes, so the architecture would change in accordance with the lifestyle, referring to the organic changes and adaptability of living organisms. It is a concept that was conceived about 50 years ago, but it seems to be a very advanced concept that has not become obsolete even today.

The Nakagin Capsule Tower Building faithfully incorporates this concept, with independent units (capsules) spirally attached to a concrete structure called the core, which runs through the center of the building. There are two cores, A and B, connected by a corridor. 140 capsules are connected to the two cores, and when I lived there, there were about 30 residents. The two cores are connected by a corridor.

Each capsule is very compact, about 4 to 5 tatami mats in size. The interiors are designed in a retro-futuristic style, as seen in the 1970s. Color TVs, reel-to-reel decks, unit baths, and the latest trends from the 70's have been incorporated. I loved the large round windows and the space-age design that made it feel like a sci-fi movie set.

However, in today's architecture, the idea of Metabolism has fallen into disuse. As a result, the Nakagin Capsule Tower Building is a unique building that does not resemble any other. As a result, the Nakagin Capsule Tower Building is a unique building that does not resemble any other architecture.

River in the hallway

Perhaps because of the decades-long dispute over whether to demolish or preserve the buildings, maintenance has not been actively carried out, and in some places the buildings have fallen into disrepair. I don't mind the gap between the glamorous space of Ginza and the abandoned space that seems to have been left behind. However, the damage to the building was quite advanced, and the most serious problem was leaking rain. Some of the leaks were in the individual capsules, but the most serious was from the connections between the capsules. The capsule connections are basically made of steel.

The gaps between these connections had deteriorated due to rust, and rainwater and tap water leaking from the pipes were constantly coming out. My capsule was no exception, leaking about 20 liters of water a day through the gap in the door, so I had to make my own rain gutter on top of the door. On rainy days, a large amount of water drips from the joints of each capsule, and the inside of the core is surrounded by the sound of water drops, creating a mysterious atmosphere like the inside of a limestone cave. Furthermore, during typhoons and heavy rains, a large amount of leaked water would collect in the corridors and spiral staircases inside the core and form a river. There are not many architectures that can naturally create a river indoors.

Living in Ginza without a toilet, bath, kitchen, or washing machine

The whole building's hot water system is out of order, and the toilets are unusable. No kitchen. No kitchen, no washing machine because there is no place to put it, only living space and electricity. There are almost no facilities in the rooms that are considered essential for daily life, so we have no choice but to get them from the neighborhood.

First of all, the problem of not being able to use hot water was solved by using an electric kettle for small amounts, and by going to the local public bath for bathing and other activities. I realized that there are surprisingly few situations where we need hot water in our daily lives. Next, we used the public restroom in the underground parking lot right below the building. When you hear the word "public restroom," you may have an image of it being a little dirty, but don't underestimate the public restrooms in the Ginza underground parking lot. They are cleaned every day and the facilities are new, just like a hotel bathroom. For laundry, go to a coin laundry. There are not many laundromats in Ginza, so I had to go to Tsukiji. In terms of food, I got bored with convenience stores and family restaurants, so I ate at cafes that I would not normally go to, and made friends with the shopkeepers and customers. Dependence on the outside for living facilities may be a little inconvenient, but I enjoyed the changes in my lifestyle and the insights and discoveries I made.

Demolition and the future

The Nakagin Capsule Tower has already been demolished. It's a shame because it was a building that I really loved. However, thanks to the activities of a preservation group, a project is underway to remove the capsules before demolition and donate them to a museum or move them to another location to be used as accommodations. Even if the mother body breaks down and dies, the individual capsules can be separated and continue to live. This seems to be a project that fits the concept of Metabolism, and I would like to support it.

The Nakagin Capsule Tower in Ginza will be gone, but I am looking forward to seeing what will happen to the separated capsule in the future. I am looking forward to the day when I can visit my reborn former home again.